Ok, here it goes!
Thomas Pidcock, 708 points
He had a very good first season and all of us who picked him are kind of dependent on him to have a very good spring to be a good pick but that is a risk worth taking, I think. He has the potential to be one of the best riders in the world when it comes to the classics and other one-day races.
Picked by 58 teams in total, a little bit more than I would have expected.
Fabio Jakobsen, 635 points
There were some sprinters this year that could have been viable to pick but I think this is the best one, or will be. He is on a great team and probably has the best support compared to many others. Made good results and just got better in his comeback to racing last season. In a full season he could score more points.
Picked by 38 teams in total, so he is a bit in the medium-range and slightly below half out of all the team.
Gianni Moscon, 569 points
He is coming off a good season. A lot better than what the past few years have been, mainly because he managed to stay out of trouble. He was always a good rider and he was unfortunate to not hold on in PR last year. He will be a leader for Astana in the classics and he has the potential to score many points in those races. Last season he didn't ride them for Ineos. He could be a shrewd pick, but at the same time a bit controversial and bold. The ceiling could be high though, if he performs.
Picked by 11 teams in total, and he could be a decisive factor in this game if he has a very good season.
Miguel Angel Lopez, 563 points
He is back at Astana again and he is perhaps the best climber in the world on his day when he is in form and we get really high up in the mountains. He can be a bit inconsistent though. Crashes and injuries have troubled him in the past. Not to mention his temper that has put him in some predicaments a few times. Looking at last season his first race was in April and he didn't finish either of the GTs he rode. There is room for improvement in many aspects.
Picked by 51 teams in total, and perhaps an obvious one.
Jakob Fuglsang, 447 points
He had a pretty rough year and wasn't at the same level he has shown in the three seasons prior to the last one. He struggled with some side-effects from the vaccine shots for covid that took him down and an injury ended his season prematurely. He is not the youngest but it is only in recent years that he has really been at his best and he might still have one or two seasons left at a high level.
Picked by 15 teams in total, and maybe disregarded because of his age by a lot of people. Perhaps he is not an “exciting” pick. Well, I´ll be excited when/if he starts scoring many points.
Sergio Higuita, 404 points
He was solid and scored points throughout last year without, perhaps, having any standout performances and therefore not scoring as many points as he has the potential to do. He is a rider that can score points in both one-day races, stage-races and he's got a fast finish from a reduced group. He will be racing with Bora for the next three seasons after leaving EF.
Picked by 28 teams in total, so slightly less than 1/3 out of all the teams. He could be an important rider to have.
Giulio Ciccone, 343 points
Last season he showed he could be a good GC-rider in the future. He rode very well in the Giro and Vuelta, but did not finish those races in the end. He has got a bit of potential in that regard points-wise and with Nibali gone he is probably Trek - Segafredos best chance for a good GC-result in any of the GTs. He is also a decent rider for some one-day races where he could pick up points.
Picked by 33 teams in total, so slightly above 1/3 without knowing for sure how many teams there are in the game. He could also turn out to be important to have in your team.
Oliver Naesen, 324 points
Didn't have the best couple of seasons in either 2020 or 2021 and said that he might have been over-trained last year. In the seasons prior he has been a solid performer and a very good classics rider. Had him on my team last year and he gets a second chance.
Picked by 14 teams in total, so I feel like a lot of people might have overlooked him this year. He could become a valuable pick for those who have him.
Dani Martinez, 311 points
He had a pretty rough year except his 5th place overall in the Giro after assisting Bernal to victory. He got covid after that and hardly raced again last season. Only San Sebastian and Burgos in which he both didn't finish. He hopefully has a good chance at scoring more points this year, if everything is well with him.
Picked by 32 teams in total, and could be well-worth it.
Florian Vermeersch, 311 points
He had some crashes and bad luck in the spring last season, but nobody missed his 2nd place in PR at the end of it. Is he a future star in the classics? I think the answer is still “he could be” as of now but for the price he is available for, it may be worth finding out this season. The reward could be great, if he continues to perform.
Picked by 22 teams in total. I might have thought he would be picked by more people since his performance came late in the season and would be on people's minds, but there were tough choices to make in his point range.
Tom Dumoulin, 307 points
He was very good in the races he took part in. Only 19 race days after his season came to an end with an injury in training, which was really unfortunate. He should be an obvious pick, if everything is well with him physically and mentally.
Picked by 66 teams in total, and an obvious one.
Alberto Bettiol, 257 points
Health issues ended his season last year. Hopefully that is sorted now and he can start his season early and be in good form in time for the classics. He could score more points, if he were to have a season with not many problems.
Picked by 34 teams in total, could turn out to be an important rider to have.
Olav Kooij, 249 points
Young sprinter riding for Jumbo-Visma. He ended last season finishing 3rd in the WC U23 RR, two stage-wins in Cro race and managed to finish 3rd in Gran Piemonte despite a crash in the race where he got bruised up a bit. He seems like a real talent and could already break through this season.
Picked by 26 teams in total, and I have seen a lot of talk about Mick Van Dijke in the thread after the reveal but isn't this guy next in line? I could be wrong.
Thibaut Pinot, 207 points
It would be such a shame if he never gets back to his former level. I hope that he can come back strong and achieve some great results again.
Picked by 61 teams in total, and an obvious one if his injuries are behind him.
Søren Kragh Andersen, 203 points
He can be very good on his day but has always struggled with consistency. He could have a good chance to score more points, if he has a better season.
Picked by 39 teams in total, and provides a “cheap” option to have as a decent rider in the classics. Luckily I have some others also, because Kragh is a hard one to figure out but could be worth it.
Emanuel Buchmann, 190 points
He was a bit unlucky last year. His season could have been a lot better if he didn't crash in the Giro being 6th overall after the 12th stage, just 45 seconds away from the podium. He then raced the Tour with limited preparation but didn't find his form again in what was left of the season. I think he could bounce back with a good season and with some better luck.
Picked by 49 teams in total, maybe boring but provides great value for an experienced GC-rider who could be top 10 in a GT or more.
Matthew Walls, 185 points
Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo and also got his first two victories on the road last season. He won one stage in the Tour of Norway and he won Gran Piemonte after a chaotic finish, where he beat Nizzolo among others. I'm assuming he will be racing a bit more on the road this year and he could have some breakout potential. One to keep an eye on.
Picked by 15 teams in total, and I am very happy with that.
Andreas Leknessund, 184 points
2021 might have been a transitional year for him. Hopefully, he has progressed over the winter and he is a rider with potential for a breakthrough.
Picked by 15 teams in total, and I'm pretty sure he was picked by more people last year. I didn't pick him then and instead took the opportunity now, while others seem to have overlooked him. A bit of a post-hype pick perhaps in that regard… which can turn out to be a good thing.
Juan Ayoso, 178 points
Huge talent and I did not want to miss out if he had a good first season already, despite being so young. He made it on my team in the end and I probably avoided making a silly mistake. I had already picked him for the emerging rider game.
Picked by 57 teams in total, and maybe he is just that good straight away that many people seem to think.
Jai Hindley, 137 points
He didn't finish many races and had a pretty bad season. 7th overall in the Tour de Polonge was his best result. He will be racing with Bora this year who has changed up their roster quite a bit. He should have a good chance of scoring more points.
Picked by 62 teams in total, and an obvious one.
Ilan Van Wilder, 137 points
Transferred to Quickstep from DSM in the off season after there was no way that he would be staying at DSM. He is a talented rider who could have some breakout potential.
Picked by 63 teams in total, and an obvious one.
Gerben Thijssen, 122 points
Sprinter who took a 5th place in GP de Fourmies / La Voix du Nord against some strong competition and was 3rd in a Belgium race, Omloop van het Houtland Middelkerke-Lichtervelde, at the end of last season after having a pretty quiet year. He will be racing with Intermarché for the next two years after being with Lotto Soudal for a couple of seasons.
Picked by 6 teams in total, so he is rare. Someone to cheer a little bit extra for.
Antonio Tiberi, 111 points
Been regarded as a promising rider and has had his first pro season. He could develop and improve further in his second year. Made it late into my team.
Picked by 15 teams in total, and he hopefully does really well.
Campbell Stewart, 72 points
He has a good track record… and will now be racing more on the road with Bike Exchange. He is an interesting prospect.
Picked by me and me only, woho! A unique pick.
Lennard Kämna, 53 points
Struggled with health problems and has been on a break from racing for the second time in his young career. It happened once at DSM too. A bit worrying, but hopefully he comes back strong and can ride more races this season.
Picked by 72 teams in total, and was probably the first rider on many team sheets.
Max Kanter, 49 points
He is a rider that has struggled for various reasons since becoming a pro, and only shown glimpses here and there of what he can do. He will now be racing with Movistar and I guess anything could happen there, but he will hopefully not lack opportunities and he could be a late bloomer.
Picked by 16 teams in total, and hopefully turns out to be a good pick.
Andrea Piccolo, 49 points
Another talent who hasn't had the best start to his pro career. He had some problems at Astana last season, didn't race anything with them and left. Raced a few races towards the end of the season and was solid in most of them. He will be racing with Gazprom this year and if he performs there, I hope we will be seeing him at a WT-team sooner rather than later again.
Picked by 17 teams in total, and he hopefully has a good season.
Amund Grøndahl Jansen, 46 points
He started alright with 12th in Clasica de Almeria and 15th in K-B-K, but then it was another season of disappointment last year. Surely, it can not go as bad as this again and if he wants a new contract it is time to make some results.
Picked by 12 teams in total, and seems to have been forgotten about or have people just given up completely on him after last year? We´ll see how this year goes.
Gregor Mühlberger, 45 points
Didn't have a great first season at Movistar and should have a good chance at scoring more points, at least.
Picked by 16 teams in total, and I might have expected him on more teams than that but maybe he is a bit “boring”.
Bob Jungels, 42 points
He has struggled with health issues and has undergone surgery to fix his problems. He was a little bit better in Paris - Tours in his final race of last season, that I saw. He was riding in the finale of the race and finished in the second group. Hopefully he can turn his career back on track this year.
Picked by 61 teams in total, and should still be an obvious one.
Nicolas Edet, 38 points
He has been a pretty consistent performer for most of his career averaging around 200-300 points. He had finished 7th on two stages in the Giro when he crashed and was out for the rest of the season, last year. Broke his arm. He will be racing with Arkea for the next two seasons, after spending his whole career as a pro up until now with Cofidis. Not the youngest but hopefully has a good chance at scoring more points.
Picked by 3 teams in total, and might be understandable since he is probably not that exciting to pick but I'll happily take the points if he has a solid season. That's what matters in the end.
Carl Fredrik Hagen, 21 points
Suffered a shoulder injury in training early last year and only came back right at the end of the season. He was good in 2019 where he finished 8th overall in the Vuelta and had other solid results that year. He hopefully has a good chance to bounce back and score more points.
Picked by 26 teams in total, and a few others also found him.
Milan Vader, 0 points
Mountain-bike rider who will be racing on road for Jumbo-Visma. No idea about what he can do, but does not have to do much to turn into profit.
Picked by 13 teams in total, so hopefully he is good!
Everybody is excited about their team before the season begins but I think I picked a good team this year, we'll see how it goes.
All the best to everyone.
Thomas Pidcock, 708 points
He had a very good first season and all of us who picked him are kind of dependent on him to have a very good spring to be a good pick but that is a risk worth taking, I think. He has the potential to be one of the best riders in the world when it comes to the classics and other one-day races.
Picked by 58 teams in total, a little bit more than I would have expected.
Fabio Jakobsen, 635 points
There were some sprinters this year that could have been viable to pick but I think this is the best one, or will be. He is on a great team and probably has the best support compared to many others. Made good results and just got better in his comeback to racing last season. In a full season he could score more points.
Picked by 38 teams in total, so he is a bit in the medium-range and slightly below half out of all the team.
Gianni Moscon, 569 points
He is coming off a good season. A lot better than what the past few years have been, mainly because he managed to stay out of trouble. He was always a good rider and he was unfortunate to not hold on in PR last year. He will be a leader for Astana in the classics and he has the potential to score many points in those races. Last season he didn't ride them for Ineos. He could be a shrewd pick, but at the same time a bit controversial and bold. The ceiling could be high though, if he performs.
Picked by 11 teams in total, and he could be a decisive factor in this game if he has a very good season.
Miguel Angel Lopez, 563 points
He is back at Astana again and he is perhaps the best climber in the world on his day when he is in form and we get really high up in the mountains. He can be a bit inconsistent though. Crashes and injuries have troubled him in the past. Not to mention his temper that has put him in some predicaments a few times. Looking at last season his first race was in April and he didn't finish either of the GTs he rode. There is room for improvement in many aspects.
Picked by 51 teams in total, and perhaps an obvious one.
Jakob Fuglsang, 447 points
He had a pretty rough year and wasn't at the same level he has shown in the three seasons prior to the last one. He struggled with some side-effects from the vaccine shots for covid that took him down and an injury ended his season prematurely. He is not the youngest but it is only in recent years that he has really been at his best and he might still have one or two seasons left at a high level.
Picked by 15 teams in total, and maybe disregarded because of his age by a lot of people. Perhaps he is not an “exciting” pick. Well, I´ll be excited when/if he starts scoring many points.
Sergio Higuita, 404 points
He was solid and scored points throughout last year without, perhaps, having any standout performances and therefore not scoring as many points as he has the potential to do. He is a rider that can score points in both one-day races, stage-races and he's got a fast finish from a reduced group. He will be racing with Bora for the next three seasons after leaving EF.
Picked by 28 teams in total, so slightly less than 1/3 out of all the teams. He could be an important rider to have.
Giulio Ciccone, 343 points
Last season he showed he could be a good GC-rider in the future. He rode very well in the Giro and Vuelta, but did not finish those races in the end. He has got a bit of potential in that regard points-wise and with Nibali gone he is probably Trek - Segafredos best chance for a good GC-result in any of the GTs. He is also a decent rider for some one-day races where he could pick up points.
Picked by 33 teams in total, so slightly above 1/3 without knowing for sure how many teams there are in the game. He could also turn out to be important to have in your team.
Oliver Naesen, 324 points
Didn't have the best couple of seasons in either 2020 or 2021 and said that he might have been over-trained last year. In the seasons prior he has been a solid performer and a very good classics rider. Had him on my team last year and he gets a second chance.
Picked by 14 teams in total, so I feel like a lot of people might have overlooked him this year. He could become a valuable pick for those who have him.
Dani Martinez, 311 points
He had a pretty rough year except his 5th place overall in the Giro after assisting Bernal to victory. He got covid after that and hardly raced again last season. Only San Sebastian and Burgos in which he both didn't finish. He hopefully has a good chance at scoring more points this year, if everything is well with him.
Picked by 32 teams in total, and could be well-worth it.
Florian Vermeersch, 311 points
He had some crashes and bad luck in the spring last season, but nobody missed his 2nd place in PR at the end of it. Is he a future star in the classics? I think the answer is still “he could be” as of now but for the price he is available for, it may be worth finding out this season. The reward could be great, if he continues to perform.
Picked by 22 teams in total. I might have thought he would be picked by more people since his performance came late in the season and would be on people's minds, but there were tough choices to make in his point range.
Tom Dumoulin, 307 points
He was very good in the races he took part in. Only 19 race days after his season came to an end with an injury in training, which was really unfortunate. He should be an obvious pick, if everything is well with him physically and mentally.
Picked by 66 teams in total, and an obvious one.
Alberto Bettiol, 257 points
Health issues ended his season last year. Hopefully that is sorted now and he can start his season early and be in good form in time for the classics. He could score more points, if he were to have a season with not many problems.
Picked by 34 teams in total, could turn out to be an important rider to have.
Olav Kooij, 249 points
Young sprinter riding for Jumbo-Visma. He ended last season finishing 3rd in the WC U23 RR, two stage-wins in Cro race and managed to finish 3rd in Gran Piemonte despite a crash in the race where he got bruised up a bit. He seems like a real talent and could already break through this season.
Picked by 26 teams in total, and I have seen a lot of talk about Mick Van Dijke in the thread after the reveal but isn't this guy next in line? I could be wrong.
Thibaut Pinot, 207 points
It would be such a shame if he never gets back to his former level. I hope that he can come back strong and achieve some great results again.
Picked by 61 teams in total, and an obvious one if his injuries are behind him.
Søren Kragh Andersen, 203 points
He can be very good on his day but has always struggled with consistency. He could have a good chance to score more points, if he has a better season.
Picked by 39 teams in total, and provides a “cheap” option to have as a decent rider in the classics. Luckily I have some others also, because Kragh is a hard one to figure out but could be worth it.
Emanuel Buchmann, 190 points
He was a bit unlucky last year. His season could have been a lot better if he didn't crash in the Giro being 6th overall after the 12th stage, just 45 seconds away from the podium. He then raced the Tour with limited preparation but didn't find his form again in what was left of the season. I think he could bounce back with a good season and with some better luck.
Picked by 49 teams in total, maybe boring but provides great value for an experienced GC-rider who could be top 10 in a GT or more.
Matthew Walls, 185 points
Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo and also got his first two victories on the road last season. He won one stage in the Tour of Norway and he won Gran Piemonte after a chaotic finish, where he beat Nizzolo among others. I'm assuming he will be racing a bit more on the road this year and he could have some breakout potential. One to keep an eye on.
Picked by 15 teams in total, and I am very happy with that.
Andreas Leknessund, 184 points
2021 might have been a transitional year for him. Hopefully, he has progressed over the winter and he is a rider with potential for a breakthrough.
Picked by 15 teams in total, and I'm pretty sure he was picked by more people last year. I didn't pick him then and instead took the opportunity now, while others seem to have overlooked him. A bit of a post-hype pick perhaps in that regard… which can turn out to be a good thing.
Juan Ayoso, 178 points
Huge talent and I did not want to miss out if he had a good first season already, despite being so young. He made it on my team in the end and I probably avoided making a silly mistake. I had already picked him for the emerging rider game.
Picked by 57 teams in total, and maybe he is just that good straight away that many people seem to think.
Jai Hindley, 137 points
He didn't finish many races and had a pretty bad season. 7th overall in the Tour de Polonge was his best result. He will be racing with Bora this year who has changed up their roster quite a bit. He should have a good chance of scoring more points.
Picked by 62 teams in total, and an obvious one.
Ilan Van Wilder, 137 points
Transferred to Quickstep from DSM in the off season after there was no way that he would be staying at DSM. He is a talented rider who could have some breakout potential.
Picked by 63 teams in total, and an obvious one.
Gerben Thijssen, 122 points
Sprinter who took a 5th place in GP de Fourmies / La Voix du Nord against some strong competition and was 3rd in a Belgium race, Omloop van het Houtland Middelkerke-Lichtervelde, at the end of last season after having a pretty quiet year. He will be racing with Intermarché for the next two years after being with Lotto Soudal for a couple of seasons.
Picked by 6 teams in total, so he is rare. Someone to cheer a little bit extra for.
Antonio Tiberi, 111 points
Been regarded as a promising rider and has had his first pro season. He could develop and improve further in his second year. Made it late into my team.
Picked by 15 teams in total, and he hopefully does really well.
Campbell Stewart, 72 points
He has a good track record… and will now be racing more on the road with Bike Exchange. He is an interesting prospect.
Picked by me and me only, woho! A unique pick.
Lennard Kämna, 53 points
Struggled with health problems and has been on a break from racing for the second time in his young career. It happened once at DSM too. A bit worrying, but hopefully he comes back strong and can ride more races this season.
Picked by 72 teams in total, and was probably the first rider on many team sheets.
Max Kanter, 49 points
He is a rider that has struggled for various reasons since becoming a pro, and only shown glimpses here and there of what he can do. He will now be racing with Movistar and I guess anything could happen there, but he will hopefully not lack opportunities and he could be a late bloomer.
Picked by 16 teams in total, and hopefully turns out to be a good pick.
Andrea Piccolo, 49 points
Another talent who hasn't had the best start to his pro career. He had some problems at Astana last season, didn't race anything with them and left. Raced a few races towards the end of the season and was solid in most of them. He will be racing with Gazprom this year and if he performs there, I hope we will be seeing him at a WT-team sooner rather than later again.
Picked by 17 teams in total, and he hopefully has a good season.
Amund Grøndahl Jansen, 46 points
He started alright with 12th in Clasica de Almeria and 15th in K-B-K, but then it was another season of disappointment last year. Surely, it can not go as bad as this again and if he wants a new contract it is time to make some results.
Picked by 12 teams in total, and seems to have been forgotten about or have people just given up completely on him after last year? We´ll see how this year goes.
Gregor Mühlberger, 45 points
Didn't have a great first season at Movistar and should have a good chance at scoring more points, at least.
Picked by 16 teams in total, and I might have expected him on more teams than that but maybe he is a bit “boring”.
Bob Jungels, 42 points
He has struggled with health issues and has undergone surgery to fix his problems. He was a little bit better in Paris - Tours in his final race of last season, that I saw. He was riding in the finale of the race and finished in the second group. Hopefully he can turn his career back on track this year.
Picked by 61 teams in total, and should still be an obvious one.
Nicolas Edet, 38 points
He has been a pretty consistent performer for most of his career averaging around 200-300 points. He had finished 7th on two stages in the Giro when he crashed and was out for the rest of the season, last year. Broke his arm. He will be racing with Arkea for the next two seasons, after spending his whole career as a pro up until now with Cofidis. Not the youngest but hopefully has a good chance at scoring more points.
Picked by 3 teams in total, and might be understandable since he is probably not that exciting to pick but I'll happily take the points if he has a solid season. That's what matters in the end.
Carl Fredrik Hagen, 21 points
Suffered a shoulder injury in training early last year and only came back right at the end of the season. He was good in 2019 where he finished 8th overall in the Vuelta and had other solid results that year. He hopefully has a good chance to bounce back and score more points.
Picked by 26 teams in total, and a few others also found him.
Milan Vader, 0 points
Mountain-bike rider who will be racing on road for Jumbo-Visma. No idea about what he can do, but does not have to do much to turn into profit.
Picked by 13 teams in total, so hopefully he is good!
Everybody is excited about their team before the season begins but I think I picked a good team this year, we'll see how it goes.
All the best to everyone.
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